


With Tears in Our Rear View Mirror

by TemplesarentTombs



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 15, Gen, M/M, Phan - Freeform, around 14, they're younger, victorian au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 04:23:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TemplesarentTombs/pseuds/TemplesarentTombs
Summary: There were too many things to remember. Dan didn't mean to be so awkward and clumsy, but that was just the card he was dealt. Dancing lessons were anything but graceful, he couldn't play any instrument worth a darn, and his aim for shooting was awful. He'd never become a proper gentleman.~ Phan Victorian AU where Dan is the son of a wealthy lawyer and Phil is his valet





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm currently more focused on a separate ongoing fanfic, but the idea for this one popped into my head and I had to type it out. It's a fun one, and we'll see how often I update it. The title is taken from the All Time Low song Runaways.

Dan sat with his back slouched over, and his chubby cheek settled in the palm of his hand. He felt bored in the large, dark house. His mother told him that he was to stay put until their main maid brought his new servant upstairs to meet him. She was always telling him to do /something/, whether that was, “Stand up straight,” or, “Don't wear your gloves at the table,” and even the occasional, “No elbows on the table!”

There were too many things to remember. Dan didn't mean to be so awkward and clumsy, but that was just the card he was dealt. Dancing lessons were anything but graceful, he couldn't play any instrument worth a darn, and his aim for shooting was awful. He'd never become a proper gentleman.

Their terrible maid was all too eager to remind him of that. She was worse than his mother.

Where his mom used her words, their maid used both her words and the back of her hand. It was supposed to make him a better person, but all it had ever done was anger him. 

Usually to get away from everything, Dan spent his time reading in the library. It was quiet, and no one bothered him there. It had always been his favorite place. He only wished that he had someone else to obsess over and discuss the stories with him, but none of the children that his parents invited over were that interested in literature. 

Now though, he couldn't retreat to his favorite place, Dan had to sit here on this couch. It wasn't too long before the maid and another young boy, who Dan assumed was his new servant, came up the stairs together. This prompted Dan to sit up as straight as possible.

The maid cleared her throat and puckered her lips in a way that somehow gave her an even more severe expression, “Daniel,” she started off on the wrong foot already, using his full name, “this is your new valet. He'll be going to the academy with you in two weeks. You will address him as Phillip.”

Phillip stood as tall as the maid, which was tall for a boy who had to be close to Dan's age of 14. Phillip was about Dan's height, so the two were unusual in that way. The other boy was almost certainly indentured, or just so poor that his parents had shipped him off for some extra income. Yet, despite the boy's obvious inferior position, the thing that stood out most to Dan was that he was still smiling. His blue eyes were still bright and optimistic. 

So as to not come across as rude, Dan said, “Hello Phillip.”

The other boy continued smiling and in the most sickeningly peppy voice replied with, “It's nice to meet you Daniel.”

“Please, call me Dan,” Dan insisted quickly. He wasn't happy at all with his full name.

“Okay then, Dan it is,” Phil nodded, “I don't mind being called Phil too much.”

“That works,” Dan said, trying his best to act disinterested. He looked off into the distance, behind their shoulders and out the window. 

After a few awkward silent moments, which wasn't all that out of the ordinary, the maid added, “I must be off to keep my housekeepers on task, but Phillip will be close by for when you need something. In an hour, you are to be outside and ready for your riding lessons. Until then, you can do as you please.”

Dan watched her rigidly straight spine slowly descend the stairs accompanied by the tapping sounds of her heels on the steps. He was going to guess that Phil wouldn't reprimand him for slouching, so he released the tension in his shoulders and leaned over comfortably. As he has suspected, nothing was said.

He peeked over the couch. Phil stood next to the door, still looking content with his lot in life. Beside Phil was a grandfather clock. Dan had until noon until he had to be outside, so he was going to have to relish all the indoors time that he had left, and where better to spend that time than his library?

“Phil, we're going to the library.” Dan said, hopping up off the coach and making is way to the door. 

Phil nodded and followed him down the hall, heavily adorned with paintings. Then they went down the curved staircase leading to the first floor. 

The library in Dan's home was huge. Compared to the size of the house, it made sense, but that didn't make it any less impressive. 

The whole room was covered in bookshelves from top to bottom, except for above a few shelves where there was a furnished nook set up that you could reach from a ladder at the bottom. There were all kinds of books and all kinds of plush, comfy chairs. It was dim in the room, but there were plenty of lights that could be put on.

Behind Dan, he heard Phil actually marvel at the sight in front of him. Dan hadn't heard many people find his library amazing, most of the people who visited had similar libraries at home, but Phil was obviously impressed at it and that made Dan feel smug. 

“What do you think?” Dan asked because it seemed that his maid must have instructed Phil not to talk unless spoken to.

“It's...incredible sir.”

“I told you to call me Dan,” Dan said, immediately climbing up one of the ladders to a nook high up in the room. Dan had to beckon Phil up there before he'd come up on his own. It was cozy, dark, and secluded up there, just how Dan liked it. He had left a few books under the corner pillow, and he grabbed them from underneath it, feeling lucky that they were still there. 

Dan felt weird about reading with Phil there. Maybe he should have left him downstairs. He also felt annoyed because he had to start the conversation, Dan wasn't good at social situations. He never came off the way he wanted to. For that reason especially, Dan was dreading starting at the academy soon. He'd do just about anything to not have to go. For now, he'd just been avoiding thinking about it.

“So, Phil,” Dan started, mumbling.

Phil looked alert, like a clerk ready to answer any question Dan might have.

“You can say things you know,” Dan said.  
“I know,” he said. 

“How are you smiling constantly? Why aren't you upset?”

Phil raised an eyebrow and, for the first time since Dan first saw him, looked confused, “Why should I be upset?”

“Because you have to work for me, why should you be happy?” Dan stated bluntly.

Phil scooted closer to the back of the nook, “I'm doing this so my family can better themselves. It makes me happy to think that, by working for you, that I might make things easier on them. They might be able to have regular meals and maybe my mother will be able to start working less hours. That's why I'm happy. It's worth it to me.”

Dan's heart sank. The other boy had such a good attitude, even though he had nothing. Dan didn't want to feel so unhappy all the time. He knew he had everything that people wanted to have. His parents had money, a nice house, he was going to get an education so he could become a lawyer like his father. If he had all these things, then why did he feel so...discontent? Why wasn't he more grateful? Dan also felt jealous. He felt jealous of this destitute boy, which was completely ridiculous. Sometimes he just wanted to run away from all the expectations placed on him. He wanted to run away from this boring, lonely house. Dan wanted to run away from the family who had never given a thought to what he wanted.

The little semicircle window in the back of the nook caught Dan's attention. He looked out at the huge world that he had yet to explore. He didn't want to go to the academy and he didn't want to learn to dance or ride. He wanted to run away and he didn't see why he shouldn't.

Dan spared a glance Phil's way. He couldn't leave his new valet when the boy was so happy to have a job to help his family. If he took Phil with him, then there was a greater chance that they'd keep sending money to Phil's family. While the probability was that they wouldn't, there was still a slim chance and Dan couldn't deny Phil that. 

Dan couldn't help the giddy feeling that blossomed in his chest at the thought of running away. It was like one of the stories in his books!


	2. chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going with this, to be honest, but I like writing it a lot and that's half the trouble. Here's chapter 2!

The clock struck noon and, for once, Dan was right on time out in the stable for riding lessons. Phil helped him switch his shoes for tall, leather riding boots, and click the helmet's strap closed under his chin. Today he had motivation to get out there. Dan needed to formulate a plan to get out of here and riding could give him a chance to bring it up to his new valet and to potentially brainstorm.

“Have you ever ridden a horse before?” Dan asked Phil. Phil was getting Dan's dark bay horse all saddled up and ready to be ridden. A fleeting thought that it might be a tad on the rude side to make Phil saddle a horse that he's not even going to ride hit Dan for a moment, but he shook it off. It was no different than it had ever been.

“I haven't actually,” Phil replied sounding like he was about to pull a muscle in his back. Maybe Phil wasn't used to physical activity either. 

That troubled Dan slightly, part of his tentative plan was to ride off on a couple horses. It sounded outlandish now that he knew Phil wasn't familiar with riding. There wasn't a reason that he couldn't figure it out though. He'd keep thinking of course, but he wasn't about to toss this idea out the window.

“It's not that hard,” Dan stepped up into the stirrup and swung his leg over. He tapped the side of the horse with his spurs, but she wasn't having it. The horse started jumping restlessly, not at all happy to have Dan sitting on it.

“I don't think she's happy!” Phil yelped, “I've been trying to work through it, but I really don't like horses. They're...”

“They're what?” Dan urged, trying to free his feet from the stirrups. He wanted to get off his horse sooner rather than later.

“Scary,” He whimpered and covered his face and stepped back from the stable.

Before Dan could get his second foot out, his horse bolted through the stable door, dragging him along with it. Dan tried hugging the horse around the middle, but with the speed they were going, he couldn't. 

Just when Dan thought he'd either die of embarrassment from his high-pitched screech or from a concussion, his horse stopped abruptly, throwing Dan from his stirrup. 

With all the rain that England got, especially this time of year, Dan was covered in mud. He laid there in the grass and mud, cursing mother nature. Once he mustered up enough strength, Dan leaned up on his elbows and what he saw surprised him.

Phil, his face scrunched up, had his arm outstretched with a carrot in hand. He was offering it to Dan's horse, even though he was terrified of it. He'd lured the horse away from Dan. He'd saved him from getting trampled. He'd put Dan first.

That was actually...really nice.

He watched as Phil dropped the carrot down under the horse's nose and ran off, flopping his arms about. It was then that Dan knew that they'd get along just fine.  
~~

It was after his riding lessons that Dan decided he'd write off using horses. Phil, obviously, had a horse phobia, so that was out. 

They'd have to go on foot. Dan found that he didn't really care. It would be perfect, Phil would know his way around out there. They'd get to see all kinds of new places, and Dan would get to be free for awhile. 

He sat in his window seat, watching his father's carriage pull up the long, stone driveway. Since he was getting home, that meant that it was almost dinner. 

On cue, there were two knocks on Dan's door. He called out, “I'll be right there!” before pulling on his white gloves and looking in the mirror to make sure he looked neat. His hair had gotten a little damp after falling in the mud earlier and, because of that, there were a few loose curls hanging over his forehead. There wasn't really anything he could do about it, so he decided that he looked good enough.

Phil opened the door for him and together they walked downstairs to the dining room. Dan hoped that Phil knew how thankful he had been for his earlier assistance outside. As they walked down the hall, Dan grabbed Phil's elbow, easily gaining his attention.

“About earlier,” Dan started, not quite sure what to say.

“It was no problem, it's what I'm here to do. To help you, I mean,” Phil cut in.

“What made you afraid of horses?” 

Dan thought Phil looked like he was reliving the moment, “Phil?”

But Phil waved his hand away, “My family used to have a horse, my mom loved them. I was very young and I really wanted to ride our horse like I'd seen my older brother do. I went out there myself and I brought an apple with me. Apparently I fed it wrong and the horse bit me,” and Phil held out his right hand. There was a scar there and Dan could see why he was so freaked out. 

“That must have traumatized you.”

Phil shrugged, “That was actually the first time I'd seen a horse since! Mom sold ours and I didn't feel all that bad about it. But I didn't realize that seeing one again would scare me as much as it did. I mean, after today, I have no reason to think horses are nice!”

Both boys laughed. That was true, Dan could see that Phil didn't actually have any reason to like horses. The only two horses he'd seen had tried seriously injuring someone. 

They were right outside the dining room then and Phil waited by the door with the other workers of the home. Dan thought he could see his mom look at Phil and him with displeasure. She must have heard them laughing loudly in the hall.

The room was lit brightly with the curtains open and white candles down the middle of the dining table. A chandelier swung above the table, having just had its candles lit. The smells of the room were strong, diffusing into the room from the kitchens nearby. Steak and broccoli were among those strong smells that helped remind Dan of just how hungry he was. 

Dan sat down across from his mother and next to his father. 

His dad was a hardworking man who usually came home exhausted from work. He wasn't as serious as his mom, but Dan saw him less. Dan's dad smiled his way, “Your riding teacher, John, said you took a nasty fall this afternoon. Forget how to ride a horse there, Dan?” 

His cheeks warmed up, “I just got off on the wrong foot,” he murmured.

“What you did was get your clothes filthy,” his mother scolded.

It seemed like everything she said was negative. It drove Dan crazy. He decided to just ignore that statement, and to keep cutting his steak and sipping on his water.

After his mom brought up his, “unruly” curls, Dan started to wonder how angry his mom would be when he left home. Somehow, the thought only motivated him more and he smiled to himself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next time! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
